Internal Market Council

HC Deb 06 March 1990 vol 168 c587W

Mr. Hanley

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Internal Market Council held on 22 February.

Mr. Redwood

The Council reached a satisfactory agreement on the main agenda item: a directive on public procurement in the water, transport, telecommunications and energy sectors. This represents an important step towards the liberalisation of public procurement in the Community. The Council also received a progress report from the Commission on further work in this area.

The Council also agreed a timetable for future work towards liberalisation of the insurance market in the Community, and discussed amendments to the fourth and seventh company law directives.

This was a satisfactory first Council under the Irish Presidency, which maintains the momentum on the single market built up during the French Presidency.